Vacuum cleaner attachment



March 17, 1931; J. o. BECKWIJTH v 1,797,119

VACUUM CLEANER ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 18, 1927' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 James .22 fiea/rw/m, INVENTOR.

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W/fn eases z March 17, 1931. J. o. BECKWITH VACUUM CLEANER ATTACi'IMENT Filed Oct. 18, 1927 '3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jssefl .Beclrwif/ INVENTOR.

M ATT'ORNEYS.

March 17, 1931'. J. D. BECKWITH 1,797,119

VACUUM CLEANER ATTACHMENT med Oct. 18, 1927 :{Sheets-Sheet s 52 47 Jesse ,D. Beam 'iNVENTOR.

066i way A TORNEYS.

Patented Mar. I7, 1931 JESSE D. BECKWI'IH, OF NEW YORK VACUUM CLEANER ATLACHMEN'I Application filed October 18 1927'. Serial 110,226,983.

This invention relates to a polishing machine designed particularly for use on floors and has for its primary object the provision of a structure designed to be attached to the p ordinary vacuum cleaner whereby the same can be converted to a polishing machine.

The invention broadly contemplates the floor scrubbing or provision of a rotary polisher mounted in a suitable casing and having means associated therewith whereby the casing can be attached' to a vacuum cleaner fan housing in the position usually occupied by the cleaner attachments. A connecting means is provided for operatively connecting the shaft of the fan with the polisher mechanism'so that -the machine as it is moved across the floor will operate to polish the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, means whereby a waxing brush and a buffer may be interchangeably employed in the attachment to enable the user to performtwo different operations with the same attachment.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the ac-- com anying drawings forming a part of this speclfication, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark nomaterial departure from the salient features of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows the attachment in front elevation.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of thesame.

, Figure 3 is a central longitudinal section of the attachment showing the, buffer wheel partly in section and partly in elevation.

Figure 4 is a central transverse section of the attachment. Q c

Figure 5 is a central longitudinal section through one end of the attachment and the bufier wheel showing in detail the manner in which the bufier wheel is removably held in position.

' Figure 6 is a view partly in side elevation and partly longitudinal section of the Waxing brush used in the attachment.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 indicates the housing for a fan of a vacuum cleaner of usual construction, the motor housing being indicated by the numeral 2. The usual leadofi from the fan housing 1 is indicated by the numeral 3 and at the front central portion of the fan housing the forwardly extending intake nozzle 4 is shown. Within the housing 1 the usual fan structure is mounted, a portion of which is indicated by the numeral 5, upon the shaft 6, the forward end of which is squared as shown at 7. As is well known the usual vacuum cleaner attachments are engaged over the forward end of the intake nozzle 4 so that the suction created by the fan 5 will draw air through the attachment and the nozzle 4, through the housing 1 and blow picked up matter out through the nozzle 3 to a receiver (not shown The device embodying the present invention comprises an elongated housing indicated as a 'whole by the numeral 8. This housing may be of cast aluminum or of other metal and as is shown comprises the parallel front and rear walls 9 and 10 respectively which are relatively long so that a rather large floor area is covered by the space therebetween and these walls are connected by the end walls 11 and the top rearwardly and upwardly inclined wall 12. The lower portion of the housing 8 is open throughout its length while the top 12 is provided intermediate its ends with the removable plate 13 which covers the opening 14 formed in the top wall.

The rear wall 10 of the attachment has formed intermediate the ends thereof adjacent the top the rearwardly projecting sleeve 15 which is designed to engage over the nozzle etanda pin 16-carried upon the inner face of the sleeve engages in the slot 17 provided in the vacuum cleaner for the convenient connection of cleaner atta hments.

Mounted between the walls 9 and 10 concentric with the sleeve 15. is a shaft 18 which extends through the rear wall 10 and through the sleeve terminating at its outer end in the socket 19 which is formed interiorly to ,receive the squared, end 7 of the vacuum cleaner fan shaft 6, when the sleeve 15 is placed in position upon the nozzle 4 in the manner shown in Figure 4.. The shaft 18 within the casing 8 carries a worm 20 which worm meshes with the gear 21 carried upon the drive shaft 22 which extends longitudinally of the interior of the casing 8 and has its end mounted in the bearings 23 in the end walls 11.

In the central portion of the casing 8 there extends between the walls 9 and 10 and beneath the gear 21, the semi-circular oil trough or receptacle 24, there bein formed at the central portion adjacent eacl i edge abearing 25 through which the shaft 22 extends. This trough 24 permits of freely oiling the gears and the worm 21 and 20 without-danger of the oil dripping onto the floor or the brush or buffer located therebeneath. a

At each end of the shaft 22 there is mounted a pulley 26, each pulley provided with a laterally projecting hub 27 which bears against the adjacent end wall 11 to space the pulley the proper distance therefrom.

In one of the walls 11 there is fixed, beneath a pulley 26 and the shaft 22 an inwardly projecting stub shaft 28, the inner end of which shaft is provided with the annular collar 29 while the adjacent end of the shaft is provided with the cone-shaped recess 30. Mounted upon the-stub-shaft 28 and maintained thereon by the collar 29 is a driven pulley 31, this pulley like the pulley 26 bemg provided with the laterally extend mg hub portion 32 which abuts'the adjacent end wall-of the casing and spaces the pulley the proper distance therefrom. The inner face of this pulley is provided with a pair of apertures 33, the use of which will be heremafter more fully described.

In the other end wall 11 directly opposite and in alignment with the shaft 28 there is secured oneend of a sleeve 34 which has at its nner end the. laterally extending" surroundmg flange 35. Extending through thesleeve 34 and beyond'the outer face of theadjacent end wall 11 is a pin 36, the inner end of which is provided with a cone shaped depression 37 while a portion of the outer end isreduced as at 38 and terminates in the bifurcation 39. The reduced portion 38 of this pinis surrounded by a coiled spring 40 which at the" inner end bears against the shoulder formed at the point where the reduced portion connects with the inner end of the pin while the other end bears against the end wall of the encasing sleeve '34 thereby normally acting to force the pin 36 inwardly. A lever 41 is arranged intermediate its ends in the bifurmom is cation 39 and is pivotally attached to the pin 36 as shown, one end of this lever being ball shaped as indicated at 42 to bear against the adjacent end wall 11. From this it' will be readily understood that upon swinging one end of the lever 41 the other end will engage the adjacent wall and will pull the pin 36 outwardly against the tension of the spring 40. I

The sleeve 34 carries a pulley 43, the flanges 35 preventing the pulley from slipping from the sleeve and this pulley like the other pulleys described, has a laterallyprojecting hub portion 44 which bears against the adjacent wall to space the pulley the proper distance therefrom.

Connecting the drive pulleys 26 with the adjacent driven pulleys 31 and 43 are the belts 45.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a waxing brush which is indicated generally by the numeral 46 and a buffer indicated generally by the numeral 47. The buffer 47 is shown in position in Figures 3 and '5 and as shown this attachment comprises a central shaft 48 each end of which iscone-shaped as indicated at 49 and is further provided with threads 50. Upon this shaft 48 there are mounted alternately the felt discs 51 and the spacer discs 52, pin

members 53 being provided in the spacer discs 52 for f engagement with the felt discs to prevent the same from rotating upon the shaft 48 which extends therethrough. Upon each end of the shaft 48 an end plate 54 is threaded these plates acting to compress the felt discs 51 between. the spacer discs 52.

One of the end plates 54 is provided with a pair of pins 55 which are designed to engage in the apertures 33 formed in the surface of the driven pulley 31. The other plate 54 is provided with a radially directed slot 56 which opens through the periphery of the disc to receive a pin 57 carried upon the inner face of the pulley 43. When placing the. bulfer in position that end of the shaft 48 which carries the pair of pins 55 is first placed in position in the cone-.

shaped recess 30 in the inner end of the stubshaft 28 with one of the pins 55 in an aperture 33. The lever 41 is then pulled outthe pin 36, when the pin is permitted to rei turn to its normal position. Before starting to place the buffer roll in position the pulley 43 is rotated to position the pm 57 at the highestv point thereby permitting the slot- 56 to pass over the pin as the roll in position to receive the pin member 36 v The waxing brush 46 is constructed 1n a manner similar'to the buffer 47 there being is arranged provided a shaft 58 upon which a number of brush carrying rings 59 are placed, each of the rings having the bristles 60 projecting from the periphery thereof as shown in Fig ure 6-. Each of these rings 59 is separated from the adjacent ring by spacer discs 61 and.

each end of the shaft 48 is of cone-shaped configuration as indicated at 62 and carries thereon the disc member 63 one of the discs having a pair of pin members 64 projecting from the outer face thereof like the disc member 51- associated with the buffer 47. The other disc of the brush member is provided with a slot in the same manner as the other disc of the buffer member and the brush is placed in position in the same way as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that the above described attachment can beeasily and quickly connected to the intake or suction nozzle of the vacuum cleaner and will satisfactorily and effectively operate to Wax and burnish or polish the floors. 7

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

In a vacuum cleaner attachment, a casing member, means for attaching the casing tothe suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner, a pair of bearing members arranged in the opposite walls of the casing, a floor finishing element within the casing arranged between and supported by said bearing members, one of said members including a sleeve rigidly secured to one end wall of the casing, a pulley rotatably mounted upon said sleeve, a pin slidably mounted within the sleeve having a depression in its inner end for receiving one end of the floor finishing element, the opposite end of the pin extending exteriorally of the casing, spring means normally urging the pin toward said floor finishing element, means detachably connecting the pulley with said floor finishing element, means for transmitting rotary motion to the pulley from a rotary member of a vacuum cleaner, and an operating lever arranged exteriorly of the casing and connected with the outer end of the pin for sliding the pin in said sleeve against the tension of said spring.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JESSE D. BEGKWITH. 

